The crowd got warmed up on the first night with Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead tribute band who set the scene for the weekend ahead with positive vibes and killer jams. Friday's (July 9) lineup also included festival favorites such as Umphrey's McGee, Tea Leaf Green and Femi Kuti. As the sun set, the crowd expanded and was ready to rock with featured band, Furthur (which includes original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh).

After jamming through three hours of Dead classics on the Fourth of July, Phil Lesh grabbed the mike in front of 15,000 fans in the final hour of the Nateva festival in Oxford, Maine. "We have an appropriate tune for you all," he said as Furthur kicked into the joyous "U.S. Blues" as Bob Weir traded solos with guitarist John Kadlecik amidst red-white-blue stage lighting. Fans tossed glow sticks, held up sparklers and joined in on the chorus, "Wave that flag — wave it wide and high."

With Mike, Page and Fish raring and ready to take any jam into extended musical odysseys, it will be up to Trey to utilize what he is playing in front of. He certainly did that last year when they came out on 7/31 with Drowned -> Crosseyed and Painless, and then throughout the rest of the year. I am very hopeful this year will feature the same transition.